Toothbrush



MaY-IZ, 1942. M, KRAFT TOOTHBRUSH Filed April 1, 1940 1N VENT OR.

Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a Too'rniiusn MauriceKraft, San Francisco, Calif. Application April 1, 1940, seriaiNo. `327,089

- 3 claims. (01.15-137) This invention relates to improvements y in tooth brushes and particularly to those which have a handle in the formof a containerv carrying a supply of fluid dentifrice.

An object of this invention is to provide a tooth brush of the type described having novelV means for delivering a desired quantity of uid dentifrice from the container onto the brush bristles. v.

Another object of this invention is to provide ably sprayed or squirted on the bristle tufts.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement of bristle tufts so as to eifect even distribution of fluid dentifrice thereonto. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds., and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointe out in the appended claims. e This invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing forming a part of this 4specification in which: f

Fig. 1 is a side view. partly in section, of a tooth brush made in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a back view ofthe brush.

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of a modied form of the tooth brush.

In general, this invention consists of a tooth brush member and a container in form of a handle attached thereto. The container is intended for storing uid dentifrice, and may be refilled from time to time, or may be manufactured with dentifrice sealed in and sold as a separate article by a manufacturer, in which case it will only be necessary to open the container and attach it to the brush member. Means, such as a manually operated plunger, are provided between the bristle tufts and the container for forceable delivery of iiuid from the container to said means and spraying or squirting the same on said bristle tufts, the latter being so arranged as to e'ect an even distribution of uid thereupon.

In detail, my tooth brush, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a brush member I and of a detachable handle-container 2. The latter is of such dimensions and shape as to be conveniently grasped by a user, and is intended to containv a supply of uid dentifrice. An end 3 of the container 2 is open and is provided with external threads 4. The brush member I terminates with a cup-shaped internally threaded member .10 a tooth brush of the type described in which uid y dentifrice stored in the handle-container is force- 5 which is tightly screwed on the end 3, thus 55 effecting the leakproof connection between the container 2 and the brush member I. Y-

Adjacent to the cup-shaped member 5, there is formed in said brush member a chamber "I,

one end of which opens into said cup-shaped member and the other end is closed by a wall 8, in the center of which is formed a cylindrical studlll.V`

Within the chamber I is located a closely fitted plunger II adapted to reciprocate therein.. The plunger II has a, central longitudinal bore I3, a portion I4 of which, facing the container, is frustro-conical in shape, and the remaining portion I5 is round and of substantially the same diameter as the stud I0. It shall be noted that said bore I3 and the stud I0 are coaxial alignment andwhen the plunger is moved forwardly, toward the wall 8, the stud I0 enters the portion I5 of said bore.

The plungerv II is reciprocated in the chamber 'I manually by means of a knob I1 connected with said plunger by a shaft I8 extending through a longitudinal slot 20 formed in the wall of the chamber 1. The slot 20 terminates with atransverse extension 2l `provided for the purpose of locking the plunger II in forward position by turning the same so that the shaft I8 enters said extension, in which position the plunger II seals the chamber I against leakage. The plunger II is of such dimensions that the slot 20 and extension 2| remain always closed, thereby.

A discharge passage 23 is provided in the brush member I which begins at the wall 8 and extends substantially parallel to the central axis of the brush. The passage 23 terminates in close proximity of bristle tufts 25 supported by and imbedded into a bristle-backing 26. The latter is off-set in relation to the central axis of the brush so that the central axis of the discharge passage 23 would run parallel to said backing and distant therefrom approximately one third of the bristle length.

'Ihe bristle tufts 25 are arranged in two rows,

symmetrical in relation to the central line of the brush and at a slight angle to each other so that the tufts closest to the discharge passage 23 are farthest apart and the tufts furthest away from said passage are in Contact with each other so as to close said angle. It should be noted that the center line of the discharge passage 23 coincides with the center line of the bristle tufts rows.

In operation, the handle-container 2 is properly attached to the brush member I, and the brush is preferably held in a position shown in Fig. 1, that is, the brush member I being downwardly. The thumb of the user is placed on the knob l1 and the plunger ll is moved backward and forward. The backward movement of the plunger, toward the container, will force fluid locked between said wall and plunger will bei thrown, or squirted, through the passage 23 between the two rows of the bristle tufts 25. The

flow of fluid will be conned by the angular ariupon the bristle tufts.

rangement of the tufts and fluid will be evenly distributed thereonto because of said arrange'- ment. Backward movement of the.v plungerutl' removes the stud I0 out of the bore andthereby tends to create suction in the container, which materially helps to introduce air thereinto,. in

place of ejected fluid.

Each backward and forward motion of the plunger Il deliversY a predeterminate quantity of iiuid onto thebristles.- A user vof the brush will soon nd outy the number of-l strokes needed to deliver the quantity of fluid` on the bristles `to suit his particular liking. After havingr moistened thevbristles to a desirable degree he locks the plunger Il by means of the slot extension v2| as Yhas been heretofore described, and proceeds to clean the teeth'in the usual manner.

In Fig. 3, I haveushown` armodifiedformof my tooth brush. The difference between the above described toothbrush and themodied form@ is in thev arrangement of theL discharge passage-30 Which-is shown in'thetmodied'form as'inclinedl to the brushr axis, due to the off-setof the backing 3|, in Vopposite direction tothat shown in Fig. 1.

It'shall be noted that the bristle backing may be made to occupy various positions in relation to the central axis of the brush, and the angle of the discharge passage must be also changed to correspond with such change, so as to provide the most even and advantageous distribution of den tifrice over said bristle tufts'.

Having thus described my invention, Ir claim: 1. A tooth brushcomprising 'a' fluid container;

a brush member carrying bristle tufts on one end and having a chamber in the other end thereof; said chamber having one end open and communicating with the container and the other end closed by a wall; a plunger having a bore therein adapted to be manually reciprocated in said chamber; a stud'formed on said wall and protruding into said chamber, said stud being in coaxial alignment with said bore and adapted to enterthelatter'- on the forward. movement of the plunger; said brush member having a discharge passage leading from said wall to the outer suriface of said brush member for squirting said fluid 2; 'A' tooth brush comprising a fluid container; a brushgmemberqcarrying bristle tufts on one end andhavinga chamber in the other end thereof;

said chamber having one end open and communcating with the container and the other end closed by a wall; a plunger having a bore therein adapted to be. manually reciprocatedV in said chamber; a stud formed' onQsaid wall-*and protruding intosaidchamber; said studfbeing incoaxial alignment with said'bore and adapted to enter theV latteronV the-forwardlmovement of the plunger; said# brush member hav-ingl a Y discharge passagefleading from' said wall to thefouter surface of said brush member'for squirting saidui'd upon the bristle tufts; the latter being arranged initwo-rows set at anangleto each-other, thetufts of 1the-oppositefrowsv being closest to eachother at' the end of the'brush;

3. A` tooth brush comprisinga fluid container; a brush memberfhaving-l bristle tuftsthereon and removably secured to 1- said container ;v a chamber formed between the bristle tufts and the container and communicating with the latter; a plunger havinga borelthereinvand adaptedtobe manuallyreciprocatedinsaid'ichamber; a means formed in saidv chamber-for closing-said bore in said plunger on each stroke toward vthe bristle tufts; andV aJ discharge passagev leadingl from the chamber toward the bristle ltufts for squirting said- 

